On October 17, at 6 pm, the Embassy of the Czech Republic will host a presentation on the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic with South Moravian Region Vice-Governor Jan Vitula and Director of South Moravian Center of Innovation Petr Chládek. Gregor Mendel spent most of his life, studying and conducting his research in this fertile wine region. To this day, the area is dotted with romantic villages, majestic castles, and UNESCO Heritage sites; yet, it is also booming with progress and prominent universities and research institutes on the verge of the world’s next great scientific discovery. The presentation includes an evening of music, discussion and Moravian wine tasting.
The Mutual Inspirations Festival (MIF) is an annual initiative organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic, concentrating on the mutual influence between Czech and American cultures and the feats of personalities who have led the way. In its previous seven years, the festival has highlighted such personalities as President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (2010), composer Antonín Dvořák (2011), filmmaker Miloš Forman (2012), President Václav Havel (2013), writer Franz Kafka (2014), author Karel Čapek (2015), and tennis legend Martina Navrátilová (2016).
For its eighth year, the Mutual Inspirations Festival honors founder of genetics Gregor Mendel (1822-84), marking the 195th anniversary of his birth. This humble genius was born and conducted his groundbreaking research on the same land he sowed and loved, today’s Czech Republic. While experimenting with pea plants, he wrote his rules of heredity, referred to as Mendelian inheritance and considered worldwide as seminal work for the foundation of the new science — genetics. Beyond his pioneering conclusions, Mendel is revered for his protracted years of meticulous and painstaking experimentation. Mendel died with little recognition, but stated, “I am convinced that it will not be long before the whole world acknowledges the results of my work.” Today, he is lauded for his trailblazing work.
Admission is free
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